Metallic vapor rectifier



July l, 1930. s. wlDMER METALLIC VAPOR RECTIFIER Filed Dot Patented July1,1935@ o ritenga rrr g*Fris g sTErHENwrni/rnnf, orBaDn'N,swnrzEnnaNn'essmNon 'ro e. nnoWN no'vnnr ein., or BADEN, swrrznnLANn, AJorNT-/sfrocx COMPANY, or SWITZERLAND'.

METALLIC varon Rnc'rrrinn .Application led October 8, 1826, Serialy No.

This invention .relates to power rectifiers of the metallic vapor type.y y l The general vpurpose of the invention is Vthe provision of akconstruction which will contribute to the capacity of the rectiier forhandling heavyv currentsy at high voltages, and to the certainty,reliability and continuityl of operationoi suoli apparatus. A specificobject or the invention is the prevention of back-fires or reversalsinthe operation of apparatus of this type.

, Another specific object is the provisionof an improved constructionfor the handling and disposal'of metallic vapor within the rectifierincident to its operation. Y

Other and further objects will bepointedv out or indicated hereinafter,or will become apparentv to yone skilledin vvthe art upon anunderstandingof the inventionfor its em-k ployment in practice.` v Forthe purpose othis applicationl disclose herein, inydiagrammaticfashiomitwo arrangements of apparatus illustrative of the invention, butit is to be understood that these are presented for the purpose ofillustration only, and are not. to be construed in any fashiony ashaving the eifect of limiting the claims short of the true and mostcomprehensive scope of the yinvention in the art.

In the drawing forming a part of this' specication Fig. 1 is adiagrammatic representation in the nature of a sectional elevation ofamercury vapor power rectifier; and v p Fig. 2 is a similar illustrationof an al-v ternative construction. o

During the operation of mercuryvapor rectiiiers a stream of heatedmercury vaporv is given oil` from the cathode and ,tends to spread outor expand upwardly throughout the rectifier oylinder'or casing. rlhisvapor Veventually is condensed on the cooled walls and cover kof therectilier, forming dropsv of` liquid mercury which flow back to thecathode pool. lt is desirableithat as `low a vacuum as possible bemaintained within the rectiiier cylinder, as thelower the vacuum, theless the likelihood of the occurrence ,l

.The-natureof the invention will be understood byreferenceto theillustrative dia- 140,404, and in Germany October 1'?, 1925.

cury vapor, however, tends to produce a certain pressure in diminutionof the vacu" um. The stream of mercuryvapor, nioreover, tends tocarryany particles of dust or particles of mercury which may be in therectifier toward the anodes,v the impingement of which upon the anodesis sometimes productive of back-fires. The fallingA (drops of condensedmercury also may cause `splashes vwhich may project particles of theliquid against the anodes, withlilre result.

to the cathode'pool in such fashionfas `to avoid the contingencies abovementioned.

grams wherein the reference character 10 designates4 the cylinder orcasing of the rectifier, the same being surmounted byand incommunication'with a condensing .dome 11, to the upper portion of. whichis connected a vacuum pump 12. The cathode pool is indicated by thereference character 14, and the anodes bythenumeral 15,- `There is aplurality of these anodes, distributed about the vertical axis kof thecylinder. Spaced from the bottom of the cylinder is a dish-like shield16ssupportedvv on ,insulaters 17;,` Extending down from the top or thecylinder and encompassing the opening therefrom into the condensing`dome 11 is an upwardly flaring frustro-conical receiver 18, which'isopen at its lowerend f overthecathodepool 14. Inside the lowervlVithin the receiver `18A Land adjacent Vthe Vwalls thereof, is acooling .coil 21 which ,is

suppliedwithcooling liquid lfroman en teriorg source through theconnection 23.v Mounted on the bottom shield 16 and opening therethroughover the cathode pool 14' isa guide funnel 24 which extends upwardly inflaring contour into close association with the opening in the lower endof the receiver 18, the lower end of said guide funnel terininatingclose to the receptacle in which the cathode pool is contained. l

The walls of the cylinder 10 and of the condensing dome 1l may be cooledby liquid circulated in the water jacket portions 25 andv 26.

In the operation of the device, the niercury vapor which rises from thecathode 1d at a. moderately high pressure is directed through the guidefunnel 24 into the receiver 18. As the funnel 24.- and receiver 18 flareupwardly, they afford the necessary volumev for the expansion of themercury vapor. The vapor is condensed on the coil 21 and the adjacent`Wall of the receiver 18 and Within the condensing dome 11, thuspreventing the building up of a pressure in the receiver Which mighttend to force some of the mercury vapor out into the space about theanodes, and the operation of the vacuum pump 12 likewise functions toprevent the building up of a pressure within the receiver. As a result,the mercury vapor is effectively guided and confined away from theanodes, in such fashion that the latter are not subjected to the blastthereof. The

mercury which condenses on the cooled surfaces is caught in the gutter19 and conducted back by the pipe 20 'below the shield 16, and returnedto the cathode pool without opportunity for itsv being iinpinged on anysurfaces Where it may be splashed or partly vaporized and particlesimpelled against the anodes. The pipe 2O may be so arranged that it willdraw off from the gutter 19 only the mercury, leaving all theiinpurities behind in the gutter.

VIn the construction illustrated in Fig. 2 the arrangement issubstantially the same excepting that the receiver 18 is cooled byliquid circulated Within a Wat-er jacket l27 which encompasses it,instead of through a condensing coil as in the first instance.

By virtue of the invention, various occurrences productive of back-firesare' eliminated or minimized, and the ability of the apparatus for thehandling of heavy currents over extended periods of time with certaintyand reliability, is thereby in@ creased.

What I claim is: i 1. In rectifying apparatus of the characterdescribed, a casing, anodes spaced with respect to each other anddisposed in said casing, a vapor-emitting cathode disposed in saidcasing, means providing a vaporcondensing chambeigmeans operable todiinto said chamber out of direct 'contact With said anodes, saiddirecting means including ment, one VofV said elements being supportedwith its larger end in direct communicating relation with said chamber,and means associated with one of said elements and ,operable vto providefor return How from the saine back to said cathode of operating fluidemitted from said cathode incident to operation of said apparatus.

2. Inrectifying apparatus of the character'described, a casing,anodesspaced. Wit-h respect to each other and disposed in said casing, avapor-.emitting cathode disposed in said casing, means providing avaporcondensing chamber, means operable to direct the vapor stream fromsaid cathode' into said chamber out of direct contact with said anodesand including a funnel-shaped Yelement increasing in cross-sectionalarea from substantially one end to the other end thereof and supportedwith its larger end in direct communicating relation with said chamber,said element being provided at substantially its smaller end with avaporcondensate collecting trap opening` into said element, and meansproviding a return vapor-condensate connection from said trap at a pointelevated from the bottom thereof to said cathode. l j

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name. at Zurich,Switzerland, on the'22 day of September, A. D. 1926.

1 STEPHEN VVIDMER.

Vrect the vapor stream from said cathode

